I, Rigoberta Menchú is an enormously significant book that recounts the story of Rigoberta Menchú, an Indigenous activist in Guatemala and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. To my knowledge, it is also the first non-fiction or biographical novel covered in this course. Menchú, in conversation with the Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, verbally narrates her and her community’s tragic fight against discrimination. When I did a bit of research after reading, I was shocked to find Menchú’s age: she is only 64. The atrocities described only occurred a few decades ago. I would consider myself fairly cognizant of late 20th century history, but I had never heard of the extent of anti-Indigenous repression in Guatemala- let alone the courageous story of Rigoberta Menchú- from school or media.

The original Spanish version of the book is titled Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la concienca (my name is Rigoberta Menchú and this is how my conscience was born), which is quite different from the English title. I think the original title, although wordier, best portrays the profoundness of the events detailed in the book. What does conscience mean in this context? I think it refers to a sort of collective conscience among her community, who rose up together to resist the tyranny of local governments through unions and advocacy groups. Menchú displays immense pride for her community, culture, and land. The work of her family to resist neo-imperial and capitalist pressures seems to be about regaining this collective conscience.

The lecture asks us about the presence of secrets in the book. Menchú is selective about what she shares, and is somewhat blunt in her account of traumatizing events. Ultimately, I obviously don’t know what Menchú decided to withhold. Like all autobiographies, some details are never revealed to the public. I would say that Menchú was very transparent and vulnerable in her discussion. Perhaps she won’t reveal certain things for safety reasons or to preserve the memory of some individuals. It is simply impossible to know.

I think the discourse and controversy surrounding the exact accuracy of Menchú’s depiction of her life misses the point. I, Rigoberta Menchú clearly has brought substantial awareness to the repression of Indigenous people in Guatemala and the world. That is most important.

Question for the week: Disconnect between languages is a recurring problem in this book. What does using Spanish as a lingua franca symbolize as a result? Why is Menchú reluctant to learn Spanish?